May 3, 2011

100th Anniversary Indy 500: Greatest Spectacle in Raining?

As much as I love the legacy and history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and appreciate the caring stewardship of the place over the years, lately I have begun to become saddened frequently by the actions of those now in charge.

I hated their selection of Donald Trump as the pace car driver for the 100th Anniversary race the moment they announced it, and have been loud and vocal with criticism ever since. I have not been alone. A rising crescendo of similar dissent is quite noticeable. As usual, all such criticism is never even acknowledged by IMS other than to state the decision has been made. In other words, ‘Tough sh!t. Deal with it.‘ Many advocate booing or waving black flags on the pace lap, but that is probably not the right way. After all, he will be in front of 33 great drivers who actually deserve to be there. They should be respected more than Trump should be chided.

The best possible choice would be that IMS takes its head out of its ass before the race and put A.J. or some other appropriate choice behind the wheel. Otherwise, I fear karma.

This year is starting to feel like 1973 in terms of the weather. This morning in Speedway, in fact, looks and feels like 1992. Evisceration of the on-track activity in May will eventually bite them, and I fear it will be this year when the eyes of the world are focused here more than usual due to the 100th Anniversary. It is my hope more than anything that I am wrong. Two days of qualifying and essentially a week of meaningful practice is too little, particularly given the iffiness of the weather now, the expected number of participants and the added gimmickry designed for the short attention span general public.

The fact that we are into May and cars will not be on the track for almost two weeks leaves an empty feeling. The on track preparation for this race deserves far more than it will get.

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I couldn’t agree with you more about the Donald Trump selection. It’s disgraceful.
My vote, to appeal to kids and the current market, was Kid Rock. He’s a patriotic individual who loves the troops, and isn’t that what the 500 and Memorial Day weekend is all about anyway?
That said, A.J. Foyt would have been another excellent choice. He’s a current owner, first four-time winner, and he definitely embodies the Indy 500’s glory years. In addition, like has been stated in this blog and elsewhere, this year is the 50th anniversary of his first 500 win.
Either of these two gentlemen would have been great choice. Trump is not.

I could not agree more about your disapproval regarding the selection of Trump, a boorish fool who continues to pass himself off as a serious presidential contender, as the grand marshal for the ‘500’, especially during the Centennial celebration…apparently the leadership at IMS remains as brain dead as the announcers who will call the race and surely disgrace the most important auto race in the world with another lifeless call on ABC.